The South Carolina Arts Commission has announced that the Richland County Public Library is a recipient of the 2005 Elizabeth O'Neill Verner Governor's Award for the Arts. The highest honor the state gives in the arts, the Verner Awards recognize organizations and individuals that have played significant roles as innovators, supporters and advocates for the arts.

The Richland County Public Library, the 2001 National Library of the Year, attracted 1.8 million visitors in fiscal year 2004. The system consists of a 242,000-square-foot Main Library located in Uptown Columbia, nine branches and a bookmobile, with a total collection of more than 1.2 million items.

In addition to the resources available at the library, RCPL brings the visual and performing arts to South Carolinians regularly, through art exhibits in the Wachovia Gallery at the Main Library and through numerous performances of scholars, actors and authors.

The library, a facility open to all people, is a perfect place to discover, observe and establish an appreciation of the arts. The opportunities are heightened through the coordination of materials, staff, services, technology and facilities.

RCPL's innovative Literary Residency allows the library to bring a multicultural focus to programs. Based on the artist-in-residence concept, RCPL's Literary Residency was expanded to include actors and scholars who provide creative literary and historical presentations, lectures and workshops. These programs stimulate reading and creative thinking, as well as the use of the library's collections and services. The programs span many arts and humanities disciplines including history, literature, language, linguistics, philosophy, theatre and music.

In 2004, nearly 27,000 adults and children attended the free programs held at the library, and another 5,000 were served through outreach efforts. These people experienced literature and art coming to life in the form of plays, literary readings, book discussions and author appearances.

With a circulation of more than 3.1 million and inhouse use systemwide at 5.5 million last year, the number of citizens who have been exposed to the literary, artistic and cultural resources at the library is overwhelming.

The 2005 Verner Awards will be presented in early May during a joint legislative session at the State House.

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The mission of the Richland County Public Library is to provide experiences that Inspire, Inform and Entertain.